Business & Finance
Canadian travel to the United States remains depressed following trade tensions
Official data and booking reports show Canadians are continuing to reduce visits and spending in the U.S. amid ongoing tariff disputes.
The short version
- Canadian travel to the U.S. dropped by 25.4% in 2025 and continued to fall in early 2026, driven by an ongoing trade war and tariffs.
- U.S. leisure bookings by Canadians in July 2026 remained 39% below July 2024 levels, despite minor improvements from 2025 lows.
- Canadian spending on U.S. trips fell by $3.3 billion in 2025, with travelers increasingly redirecting their vacations domestically or toward Europe and Asia.
- Tourism experts warn that the shift may become a long-term change in travel habits as new U.S. and Canadian tariffs take effect.
Key facts
- The number of Canadian residents returning home from U.S. trips fell 25.4% in 2025 compared to 2024, according to Statistics Canada.[Business Insider]
- Canadian residents took 5.5 million U.S. trips in the first quarter of 2026, marking a 10.6% drop from the same period in 2025.[Business Insider]
- Canadian spending on U.S. travel decreased by $3.3 billion to $18.8 billion in 2025, with leisure travel accounting for most of the reduction.[Business Insider]
- Flight Center Travel Group Canada reported July 2026 U.S. leisure bookings were 39% lower than July 2024 levels.[Business Insider]
- Canadian domestic travel grew by 5 million visits in 2025, while trips to Europe and Asia rose by 13.6% and 16.7%, respectively.[Business Insider]
- New U.S. tariffs on approximately $20 billion of Canadian imports went into effect recently, with Canada planning retaliatory tariffs starting September 8.[Business Insider]
What remains uncertain
- Whether Canadian travel to the U.S. will recover long-term or if the drop represents a permanent shift in consumer travel habits.[Business Insider]
Sources
- Canadians cut their US travel by a quarter last year. They're not rushing back.Business Insider metered